The objective of this project is to develop potential approaches to the therapy of brain and spinal cord injury. One approach is to limit the production or increase the degradation of chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs). We have demonstrated that the enzyme arylsulfatase B, which cleaves the 4-sulfate group from chondroitin sulfate only at the non-reducing end, can dramatically increase neuronal growth on substrates of chondroitin sulfate. We are now conducting experiments in collaboration with the University of Cambridgebto determine the efficacy of ARSB in animal models of optic nerve and spinal cord injury.